The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
In various operations, it is necessary to repetitively separate selected numbers of small objects from bulk quantities of the respective small objects. For example, in object analytics, breeding, planting, storage, packaging etc. operations it is often necessary to separate a plurality of various quantities of objects from a much larger bulk amount of objects. To separate the selected, or desired, number of small objects from the bulk amount, counting devices are often employed. At least some known counting devices measure the mass and/or weight of the objects to approximately determine the number or amount of objects that have been parsed from a larger quantity of the objects.
Alternatively, at least some other known counting devices comprise a vibratory bowl feeder that is constructed to receive a bulk amount of small objects and operational to feed the objects down a track where each object passes a photoelectric eye to be counted. The counted objects are then funneled into a chute or tube having a collection receptacle, e.g. a container, beaker, cup, envelope, bag, etc. removably attached to or positioned under an end of the chute or tube for receiving the counted small objects. Once a desired number of small objects have been counted and deposited into a collection receptacle, the counting device must be stopped so that the collections receptacle can be removed and replaced with a subsequent receptacle by operations personnel. Thus, operations personnel must manually interact with the counting device after each individual desired amount of small objects is parsed, counted and deposited into a respective collection receptacle.